4 Nov 23

Priorslee Balancing Lake

Abandoned wet again.

5.0°C > 6.0°C: A red sunrise did not last long with rain starting c.07:15. Light easterly wind. Very good visibility until the rain started: then poor for a while, settling down to moderate.

Sunrise: 07:12 GMT

+ = my first sighting of this species at this site this year.
++ = new species for me at this site.
* = a species photographed today

Priorslee Balancing Lake: 05:45 – 08:50

(229th visit of the year)

Bird notes:
- I was surprised to see any migrant Wood Pigeon groups. The first, at 07:35, had the excuse that it had only just started raining. The second at 08:20 had no such excuse. How do they see where they are going in the rain? It hurts my eyes.
- As a postscript to my count of of c.3500 migrant Wood Pigeons I read that just 'down the road' at Belvide 12 miles to the East they logged 7000 in the first hour after dawn. I know from previous years that similar numbers pass over north-west London in early November. Just how many are on the move and where to?
- I had heard at least two Reed Buntings calling from the West end roost. While I was counting a passing flock of Jackdaws I saw 14 small birds apparently flying out of this roost area. I had heard no other birds so assume they were Reed Buntings.

Counts of birds noted flying over:
- 3 Canada Geese: duo outbound; one South
- 4 Mute Swans: flew West 07:15; ages not determined
- 80 Wood Pigeons: of these 53 flew South in two migrant groups
- 2 Herring Gulls
- 48 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 94 Jackdaws
- 5 Rooks
- 3 Redwings
- 3 Pied Wagtail
- 1 Meadow Pipit
- 2 Siskins

Counts from the lake area: (as best as I could in the rain)
- 2 + 2 Mute Swans
- 5 (4♂) Mallard
- 30 (17♂) Tufted Duck
- 5 Moorhens
- 125 Coots
- no Great Crested Grebes
- c.125 Black-headed Gulls
- *15 Herring Gulls
- *1 unknown gull (Ring-billed x Lesser Black-backed Gull?)
- *1 possible Caspian Gull
- *51 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
- 1 Cormorant: arrived

The (semi) nocturnal community on or around the street lamp poles at dawn:

Moths:
- *3 November Moth agg. (Epirrita dilutata agg.)

Flies:
- 1 Spotted-winged Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii)
- 1 plumed midge
- 1 winter cranefly Trichocera sp.
- 1 Common Green Lacewing (Chrysoperia carnea)

Other insects:
- 1 springtail Tomocerus vulgaris

Spiders / harvestmen:
- 1 Bridge Orb-web Spider (Larinioides sclopetarius)
- *1 Orb-web spider Metellina sp.
- *1 Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis)
- 1 male harvestman Leiobunum blackwalli
- *3 harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis

Later I noted this on the wet fence alongside Teece Drive.:
- 1 Alder Leaf Beetle (Agelastica alni)

And another fungus:
- *Birch Polypore (Piptoporus betulinus)

It might have rained later, but not before some colour appeared.

Reaching its maximum here.

Asda apologises for photo-bombing the dawn.

Two immature Herring Gulls. The larger bird on the left is likely a male. Its all-dark bill indicates it is a first winter. The smaller bird, likely a female, has more grey in its back feathers. This and the pale base to its bill indicates it is a second winter.

A strange first-winter gull. It is too pale for a Lesser Black-backed Gull. The paler inner primaries do not look extensive- or pale-enough for a Herring Gull. The choices would seem to be Yellow-legged or Caspian Gull. Obsidentify was confident it is a Caspian Gull. I am not sure...but I do not have a more convincing suggestion.

Another very strange gull. Its round head, dark eye and weak-looking pale bill with a dark band are all reminiscent of a Common Gull. The very dark back, the same tone as the wing tips, would normally indicate a Great Black-backed Gull which is probably why that is why Obsidentify thinks it is. It is however clearly too small and gentle-looking. I am wondering whether it is the Lesser Black-backed x Ringed-billed Gull that has been in the area for the last ten winters at least. I'll ask around. There is a lot I still need to learn about gulls.

For comparison two adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls (I cannot remember what the obscured individual was).

There were three November Moth types (Epirrita dilutata agg.) on different street lamp poles today. This one was the first I have seen on the particular pole this season.

One of the Orb-web spiders Metellina sp.

A Nursery Web Spider (Pisaura mirabilis).

One of three harvestmen Paroligolophus agrestis on the street lamp poles this morning. This one trying to camouflage itself against the identification number stencilled on the pole.

The dead Silver Birch (Betula pendula) tree-trunk was leaning – honest! The fungus is Birch Polypore (Piptoporus betulinus), frequently seen on dead wood from this tree.

A close-up.

(Ed Wilson)

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On this day can be found via the yearly links in the right-hand column.

Sightings from previous years without links are below

2011
Priorslee Lake
Yellow legged Gull
(John Isherwood)

2010
Priorslee Lake
16 Pochard
43 Tufted Duck
Yellow-legged Gull
Kingfisher
400+ Jackdaws
17 Fieldfare
7 Redwings
Siskins
(Ed Wilson)

The Flash
24 Pochard
81 Tufted Ducks
c.180 large gulls
5 Redwings here
(Ed Wilson)

Trench Lock Pool
Yellow-legged Gull
(Martin Grant)

2009
Priorslee Lake
17 Pochard
4 Wigeon
8 Tufted
42 Mute Swan
400+ Lesser Black-backed Gull
Yellow Legged Gull
(Mike Cooper)

Wrekin
Firecrest
2 Brambling
(Dave Barrow / Andy Latham)

2006
Priorslee Lake
23 Pochard
48 Tufted Ducks
1 Ruddy Duck
650+ Black-headed Gulls
1 Common Gull
134 Lesser Black-backed Gulls
450 Wood Pigeons
15 Pied Wagtails
18 Wrens
13 Dunnocks
25 Robins
18 Blackbirds
155 Fieldfares
5 Song Thrushes
85 Redwings
1 Mistle Thrush
14 Greenfinches
2 Siskins
4 Reed Buntings
(Ed Wilson)